Mephistopheles wa Dare?

Manga status: On-going (current chapter is 7)
Mangaka: Yoshihara Yuki

Chapter 7 summary:

Mephistopheles – Chapter 7

Mephistopheles – Chapter 7

Mephistopheles – Chapter 7

Nanako confesses to the Pastor but doesn’t get a response. The next day she is painting a sign for the summer festival. The Pastor kneels down and tells her that she has paint on her cheek. He wipes her cheek with a handkerchief. Dazed, she walks away to wash her face. The young kids tell the Pastor that he is sexually harassing Nanako, but he says that he’s just being nice. Nanako washes her face and thinks that confessing right after hearing about the untimely death of the Pastor’s girlfriend lacked self-restraint on her part. She wonders if the Pastor is going to ignore it since his behavior didn’t change after her confession. She regrets confessing to him and feels that it would have been better not to say anything if he’s going to pretend that it didn’t happen. It would have been better to just like him. Suddenly, she hears the kids shouting for her and the Pastor. When they rush over, the kids are pointing and looking at a guy who’s lying face-down on the ground. They think that he’s dead. Nanako notices that the guy’s finger moved, so she tells them that he probably passed out from a heatstroke. However, the Pastor starts shoveling dirt on the guy, quoting, “Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust… Amen.” When he sticks the cross in the mound of dirt, the guy suddenly sits up and says, “Jiro.” The guy rushes over to the Pastor and tell him that he’s been wanting to see him. Nanako wonders who that guy is.

It turns out that the guy is a friend of the Pastor and his name is Gabriel Gloria Koumyouji. His father is Japanese and his mother is German. When Nanako questions who Jiro is, the Pastor tells her to refer back to page 27 in Volume 1 (T/N: lol). The Pastor’s name is Suzuki Jiro. Embarrassed, Nanako says that it’s a godly name. Gabriel tells Jiro that he’s worried about him, since Pastor Sakaki in Germany complains to Gabriel that Jiro shirks his duties to the church and always goes to hostess clubs. Nanako wants to know who Pastor Sakaki is and the Pastor replies that he is the Don Corleone (the Godfather) of this industry. Pastor rudely dismisses Gabriel and tells him to go back to Germany. Gabriel protests and insists that Jiro go back to Germany with him to serve the church there, since there’s no reason for Jiro to stay in Japan after that sorrowful incident. The Pastor refuses since he doesn’t like the hostess clubs in Germany. Gabriel informs Jiro that he will not budge until Jiro returns to Germany with him. That comment angers the young kids and they start beating their fists on Gabriel, shouting at him to leave. They tell Gabriel that the Pastor isn’t going anywhere and that he will stay here forever. At first, Gabriel is surprised by their tone, but he realizes that the kids adore Jiro. However, one of the teachers from the church’s school catches on and asks the kids if the Pastor told them that he would teach them a good way to sexually harass someone. One young boy admits that it’s true. Meanwhile, the Pastor tries to escape, but Gabriel grabs him. The Pastor then informs Gabriel that he will remain in Japan forever. Grabbing Nanako and pulling her against him, he tells Gabriel that he won’t leave this place where the person he loves is. Everyone is stunned. Nanako looks at the Pastor, who gazes at her with a serious face, and tears start to well up in her eyes. Then the Pastor whispers in her ear, asking her to pretend that she’s his lover until Gabriel goes back to Germany. Nanako is speechless. With a slight smirk on his face, the Pastor asserts that Nanako likes him, right. Nanako can’t believe that he would bring that up right now and think that he’s the devil.

The Pastor and Gabriel are over at Nanako’s place. Nanako is in the kitchen making dinner, so the Pastor pretends to act like a good boyfriend and asks if she needs help. Nanako giggles, telling him where to get the dishes. Gabriel runs his fingers over a dusty area and blows. When Gabriel starts to inspect the refrigerator, Nanako gets annoyed and orders the Pastor to do something about him. Gabriel and the Pastor sit down to eat the cold udon that Nanako made. Gabriel spits it out, declaring that it’s unappetizing. Then Gabriel questions what made them become lovers, because the Jiro he knows doesn’t get involved with anyone without good reason. The Pastor tries to dissuade Gabriel, but Nanako answers the question and explains that the Pastor saved her from a very painful time when her ex fiancee betrayed her. When she smiles gently and repeats her declaration that he saved her, the Pastor looks pleased. Gabriel then switches gears and wonders if Nanako is not a virgin. He gets all worked up, calling Nanako a slut (T/N: he says, bitch, which is closer to slut in Japanese) and telling the Pastor that girls should be virgins before they get married. The Pastor angrily reprimands Gabriel for speaking badly about his Nanako, and Gabriel is shocked. Then, the Pastor points to Gabriel’s dish which is empty and wants to know if he would like seconds. Nanako chuckles and says that she can make more noodles, but Gabriel declines. As Gabriel drags the Pastor away, Nanako recalls the Pastor’s words of “his Nanako”. The next day at the church, the kids are badgering Gabriel to leave. Everyone is busy with preparing for the summer festival, which starts the next day. Nanako again recalls the Pastor’s words of “his Nanako”.

The summer festival is crowded with people. Some of the children are dressed up in costumes, shouting that they are monsters. Two women in yukata squeal about how cute the kids look and the Pastor is pleased. He tells Nanako that dressing the kids up in cute costumes will help collect donations in the box by the exit. Suddenly, there’s a loud scream. When Nanako runs over to check on the children, she sees a handsome man dressed in a man’s yukata. The two women from earlier are dazzled by his beauty, with one of them stating that she will donate any amount. The man needs the Pastor’s help because he can’t see anything without his glasses. Nanako can’t believe that it’s Gabriel and continues to stare at him in shock. Gabriel asks Nanako if she knows about the Pastor’s girlfriend who passed away. She replies that she just knows about the unfortunate accident. Gabriel divulges that the Pastor was in a horrible state, not eating or sleeping. He seemed dead, even though he was alive. Gabriel goes on to say that God will only bestow challenges that can be overcome. However, even when the holes in someone’s heart close up someday, the scars will always remain. Nanako looks sad and mumbles that she understands, which angers Gabriel. He criticizes her, saying that someone like her who’s only received a scratch wouldn’t understand. Gabriel also revealed that he saw through their charade of pretending to be lovers. Nanako apologizes but insists that the Pastor wants to remain in Japan. Gabriel agrees but tells her that’s because the person he loved the most is here and it’s all the same whether or not Nanako is around. He asks her to help release the Pastor from this painful place. Carrying iced tea, the Pastor finds Nanako by herself. When he asks where Gabriel is, he hears women shrieking and is happy that Gabriel is doing his part. The Pastor suggests that they grab takoyaki at the food stall later, but Nanako tells him that she can’t. The Pastor is shocked by her curt response. Nanako blurts out that after she confessed to him, she didn’t get an answer and yet he asked her to pretend to be lovers. She angrily tells him not to be so wishy-washy. He tries reaching out to her, but she slaps his hand away and walks off, crying. The children wonder where she is going, while the other teachers and Gabriel watch her leave. She thinks to herself that it would have been better to just like him and not confess. Suddenly, someone grabs her. It’s the Pastor. Sweating and breathing heavily, he looks worried.